The 2016 NBA champions Cleveland Cavaliers had a well-documented reunion in Europe last week. Some of the team’s top players during that year were seen on the summer trip, such as LeBron James, Tristan Thompson, Channing Frye, Kevin Love, J.R. Smith, Richard Jefferson, Iman Shumpert, and Matthew Dellavedova.
Many fans noticed several players missing in the trip, including Kyrie Irving, who hit the biggest shot in the NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors, and Timofey Mozgov, who was the team’s starting center at the start of the season, before seeing his role get reduced in the postseason.
James, who now plays with the LA Lakers, hosted the reunion, videos of which were shared in the social media by some of the players involved.
In an interview with a Russian outlet Sports Express, Mozgov revealed his true feelings about the Cavaliers reunion, saying that he was not invited to the trip.
“Yes, I saw the video of that party. No one wrote or called me. If I’d been invited, I’d have gladly joined,” he said in Russian. “Of course, I’d have loved to be there too, to drink some wine.”
“I saw the video of that party. No one wrote or called me. If I was invited, I’d have gladly joined. I’d have loved to be there, too, to drink some wine.”
Thoughts? 🤔
Timofey Mozgov Played A Reduced Role With Cleveland In 2016
GettyCLEVELAND, OH – JANUARY 30: Timofey Mozgov #20 of the Cleveland Cavaliers shoots over Boban Marjanovic #40 of the San Antonio Spurs during the first half at Quicken Loans Arena on January 30, 2016 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
Many remembered Mozgov during that era as a steady pick-and-roll and offensive connecting big for the likes of LeBron and Kyrie Irving.
In the 2015-2016 season, he averaged 6.3 points, and 4.4 rebounds on 25 minutes of playing time. He started in 48 out of the 76 games he played in the regular season.
In the playoffs of that championship run, Mozgov appeared in 13 games, averaging only 1.2 points and 1.6 rebounds on roughly five minutes per game. Mozgov did not play in Game 7 of that year’s finals.
However, many other players who were part of that European trip also played sparingly in the playoffs that year, including Dellavedova, who took a step back to give Irving heavy minutes, and Frye.
After that championship run, Mozgov signed a now-infamous four-year, $64 million contract with the LA Lakers, which is regarded as one of the worst contracts in NBA history.
Why Kyrie Irving Did Not Join The Trip?
GettyCLEVELAND, OH – JUNE 09: Kyrie Irving #2 of the Cleveland Cavaliers celebrates with Dahntay Jones #30 after a play in the fourth quarter against the Golden State Warriors in Game 4 of the 2017 NBA Finals at Quicken Loans Arena on June 9, 2017 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
Aside from Mozgov, a notable omission was Kyrie Irving. The reason? Irving, who now plays for the Dallas Mavericks, had prior commitments to brands during the trip.
Irving also cleared the air about speculations on his relationship with former Cavaliers teammates.
“Me and my brothers who played on the Cavs bro, we’re good,” Irving said in a video he posted on social media. “We are more than good. … Me and my teammates who won a championship together in 2016, we are straight. It’s all love. When I get back to the States, imma pop in with them, we’re gonna chop it up, we’re gonna have a great time. The immaturity behind using media to spin narratives is psychotic, bro.”
Kyrie also goes OFF on the media for creating
Irving is in China for a tour with his shoe brand ANTA. He will then fly to multiple Asian countries to tour with the brand.
Irving is still recovering from a torn ACL he suffered in 2025.
Timofey Mozgov Reveals Sadness, Regret Over Viral 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers Reunion